Improvement in car-couplings



1. H. PAYNE.

r Car Co'upiings.. NO. 143,636. Patented Oct. 14,1873.

. Witnesses: I I a Inventors (an 1 X 5 4 Q%7M w70 g Attorneys.

A111. PHOTU-l/THM/MFHIU Ca /V. X oseaklvzs mum) U ITED STATES JASON H.PAYNE, OF ROSEVILLE, MINNESOTA. 7

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

- Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 143,636, datedOctober 14, 1873:; application filed May 17, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASON H. PAYNE, of Roseville, in the county ofKandiyohi and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Car-Gouplings, of which the following is aspecification:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved car-coupling.Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same taken through the line 00 m,Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention comprises improvements in the class of couplings adapted tooperate antomatically, as hereinafter described and specificallyindicated in the claims.

A represents the bumper-head, the mouth of which is made hopper-shapedin the ordinary manner. The lower side of the bumper-head A is formed ofa spring, B, the rear end of which is attached to the draw-bar. Thespring B should be strong enough to support the link (3 under ordinarycircumstances but should one or more of the cars drop much below thelevel of the others, the spring B will yield and allow the link 0 to bedrawn from the pin D. The pin D is supported, when raised, by a bolt orslide, E, which works in a groove or recess in the upper part of thebumper-head A, and is held forward by a coiled spring, F, also placed ina recess in the upper part of said bumper-headA, and which pressesagainst the rear end of the slide E. The slide E and coiled spring F.are covered and protected by a plate, G, attached to the upper side ofthe bumper-head A, and which, for convenience, may be made in two parts.When the slide E is withdrawn the pin D is forced and held down by thespring H, the forward end of which rests upon the upper end of the saidpin D, and its rear end is attached to the bumper A. I is a trigger,which passes down through a slot in the plate G, the slide E, thebumperhead A, and the spring J, and its lower end projects into thecavity of the said bumperhead A, so as to be struck by the enteringlinkas the cars are run together and pushed back, withdrawing the slide Efrom beneath .the pin D, allowing said pin to drop down through thebumper-head A, spring J, link 0, and spring B. Thelowerpart of thetrigger I has a rule-joint formed in it, so that the link 0 may bewithdrawn, even when the trigger I may be down. The upper end of thetrigger I is pivoted to the rear end of a bent or elbow lever, K, whichis pivoted at its bend to a boss or stud formed upon, or attached to,the forward part of the plate G. The forward end of the lever K projectsnearly to the pin D, so that, when the slide E is withdrawn and the pinD drops into place, the forward end of the spring H, as it descends,strikes the forward end of the lever K, raising the rear end of saidlever, and lifting the trigger I above the link 0, so that it may notinterfere with the play of said link 0. As the pin D is raised the leverK is released, and the trigger I drops into position to be struck andtripped by the entering link 0. The forward end of the spring-plate J issecured to the upper part of the mouth of the bumper-head A, and itsrear end is secured" to the upper part of the bumper-head, at the innerend of itscavity, by screws or bolts, which pass through short slots inthe said spring J, to give it the necessary play. The spring-plate Jserves as a guide to the link when entering the bumperhead, keeps thelink down when at work, and also protects the mechanism in the upperpart of the bumper-head from being injured by the link when entering thesaid bumper-head. L is a cap to receive, guide, and protect the pin D,and the lower end of which is screwed into the upper part of thebumper-head. The rear side of the cap L is slotted longitudinally toreceive the forward end of the spring H. Upon. the top of the cap L isscrewed a cap, M, the rear side of which is slotted to correspond withthe slot of the cap L. The cap M has a hole through its center for thepassage of the rod or chain N, the lower end of which is attached to theupper end of the pin D, and its upper end extends up to the platform ortop of the car, where it is designed to be connected with a lever, whichshould have sufiicient leverage to withdraw the pin D, even when underthe draft-strain. The operating parts of the coupling are covered andprotected from rain, snow, ice, accidental blows,

850., by a cap, O, hinged at its rear end to the.

bumper-head A, and secured at its forward end by hooks or otherconvenient fasteningso that it may be turned back when access to theoperating parts of the coupling" is necessary.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of the bent lever K, trigger-leverI, and spring H, substantiallyas shown and described.

2. The combination of the jointed triggerlev'er I with the slide E andspring F, as shown and described, for the purpose specified.

3, The cap 0, hinged at its'rear end, and

arranged to cover and protect the accessory coupling devices on theupper side of the drawhead, as set forth.

JASON H. PAYNE.

Witnesses LYMAN R. FULLER, HUGH JONES.

